Scenes from the sinkhole state

Posted at 12:12 PM on July 28, 2011 by Bob Collins (0 Comments)
Filed under: Science

It's International Sinkhole Day, apparently. A happy one to you and yours.

In Burnsville today, a water main break has triggered a large sinkhole on County Road 11. It's 30 feet deep and crews are trying to fill it and reopen the road. Of course, you never know with sinkholes. Is it the only one in the area? And where does all the dirt go that got washed away?

It's reminiscent of one that appeared on a Saint Paul street last year.

Meanwhile, in Guatemala City, a woman awoke recently to discover a sinkhole in her bedroom. She was just inches from a 40 foot drop. "Thanks to God and the holy Mary that nothing bad happened," she said, a comment that raises questions for another day.

Guatemala is particularly susceptible to these things because it sits on volcanic ash. Remember this baby from last year?

Usually, crews fill the Guatemala sinkholes with cement, although I've been unable so far to find and updated photograph of the location.

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